Production Date is 10/10. iPod/USB integration is installed. I pulled the radio and it has the fiber optic connections on the back with one fiber optic cable going to the head unit.

BMW says there is no way for me to add bluetooth even after I show them the non-US retrofit kit #84 64 0 393 551 information. Apparently there is a change with my model year that won't allow it, but I can't get a decent explanation what the exact reason is. BMW tells me to simply order a new car with bluetooth.

After doing a bunch of research and pulling out the radio to check for the fiber optic connections, mObridge feels that their unit will work for me. I ordered the mObridge and will install it this week. The service manager at my dealer is coo and is going to code the car.

Insane that BMW will put a car on a lot without bluetooth in 2011 and no way to add it afterwards. Dealing with recharging ear pieces or a visor mounted unit makes the radio integration a must have for me and worth the cost of the mObridge. Fiscon never got back to me, so I wasn't sure if they have a solution for my car.

If you do not have iDrive, don't forget you can add the BMW Portable Pro GPS and gain bluetooth in the process. I used the bracket for this system but put a nuvi 885t on it and am happy with the result. Bluetooth works very well with a Garmin remote microphone added. I get the phone book and call log on the screen of the GPS with sound out the car speakers. People I talk to report good quality on their end. You do not have the buttons on the wheel to use but my Garmin (and the Pro) are voice controlled - I think this is better than buttons.

I looked at that option but really don't like the look of it on the dashboard. I am now waiting to see if I can get the car coded to think it has the telephone kit, but that is apparently a lot more difficult than it should be. Next Tuesday I am going to shop to try and get it programmed with Autologic but I don't have high hopes at this point. I'll post an update...

Insane that BMW will put a car on a lot without bluetooth in 2011 and no way to add it afterwards. Dealing with recharging ear pieces or a visor mounted unit makes the radio integration a must have for me and worth the cost of the mObridge. Fiscon never got back to me, so I wasn't sure if they have a solution for my car.

I agree. Even a $15,000 dollar ford fiesta came with Bluetooth standard in 2011. It's a real nickel and dime move.

I bought the mObridge kit (Bluetooth only) and installed it myself, which was pretty easy. Mounted the box below the a/c controls and hooked up the fiber optics with little issue.
I spoke with automotive directly and they suggested a shop that was close to me and could program my car. The car just needed to think that it had the phone kit installed which they were able to do with the autologic computer. This is something the dealers can't do which is crazy.

Everything works pretty well & the dual mic (parrot) works very well and is hidden just above the rear view mirror. Functionality is just like stock, though the iPhone address book only will show the first number of a contact, not sure if this is different with the stock setup.

Waiting for an update that will make the phone button on the steering wheel to activate the iPhone voice command, but otherwise it's a sweet setup. I would have paid BMW the $800+ to install this, but they only allow Canadians to do that. Go figure...

Hope that helps you make a decision, I'm pretty happy with the setup. Can post pics if anyone is interested.

Now I just need to figure out how to keep have the fog lights switch back on when you restart the car. Putting them on in the rain, getting gas & the lights shutting off when you start the car again is nothing short of idiotic. Of course BMW has no solution to this as well. I got some safety excuse from one fool, laughed at him and left. Anyone have ideas? I am going to be calling Autologic next month...

Is this on an iDirve or non-iDrive car? I've got a non iDrive 2012 128i and the solutions are mighty few for what would have been a standard bit of kit had my production week been delayed by 10 days... (ie, starting in Sept 2011, the 2012 128i comes with Bluetooth standard).

At least I have the ipod/USB functionality (though it is the version that requires the funky BMW interface cable for the ipod, and doesn't support even mp3 via a regular ipod cable -- meaning that mp3 on a usb stick sound much better).

I don't have idrive, so the mObridge works with just the professional radio. iPod integration should be straight forward, try using a genuine Apple cable and plug into only the USB port. Ipod interface was standard option on 2011 cars. Mine works perfectly with just the Apple cable, but my car still came with the BMW interface cable ... I've never used it.

I have *an* iPod interface from the factory on my car, but there are two different ones. For early MY2012 cars (through Aug 2011 build date), it's the version that doesn't work with a simple Apple cable, but requires the special BMW split cable. From Sept 2011 forward, I don't know whether that changed, and I can't speak to MY2011.

It's great to hear that this bluetooth solution works on the non iDrive cars, though it sounds like we have a different MULF/non MULF component (which is the key factor in how the ipod integration works).

I think I'll probably see if my local coder can get the phone option to appear on the head unit.... and then worry about cabling/mic/antenna.... or, if he can't, then I probably need a full retrofit.

It was a challenge to figure out if I could get it to work because the dealer codes mean nothing really. I ended up pulling the radio out and checked to make sure it had the fiber optic connections on the back. Apparently BMW has a professional radio that looks the same from the dash side, but doesn't have the fiber optic connections. Mine luckily had the connections and mObridge assued me it should work, which it did.

If my car didn't have the iPod interface or Bluetooth, then I would look into replacing the whole head unit. Parrot is making a really nice head unit that has iPod integration, bluetooth, Nav, Pandora, etc., that looks pretty cool. Also there are dash kits that look like a perfect fit & you lose the ugly CD slot in the dash too.

It makes a big difference when you commute 2 hours a day to be able to answer calls easily and it sounds good. People all say the Parrot mikes with my kit sound really good, so I am not regretful about spending the money on the mObridge kit. However I now look at the Parrot Asteroid and kind like the ability to have all the integration with the smartphone right in the dash & it's better than the BMW iDrive interface.

It was a challenge to figure out if I could get it to work because the dealer codes mean nothing really. I ended up pulling the radio out and checked to make sure it had the fiber optic connections on the back. Apparently BMW has a professional radio that looks the same from the dash side, but doesn't have the fiber optic connections. Mine luckily had the connections and mObridge assued me it should work, which it did.

If my car didn't have the iPod interface or Bluetooth, then I would look into replacing the whole head unit. Parrot is making a really nice head unit that has iPod integration, bluetooth, Nav, Pandora, etc., that looks pretty cool. Also there are dash kits that look like a perfect fit & you lose the ugly CD slot in the dash too.

It makes a big difference when you commute 2 hours a day to be able to answer calls easily and it sounds good. People all say the Parrot mikes with my kit sound really good, so I am not regretful about spending the money on the mObridge kit. However I now look at the Parrot Asteroid and kind like the ability to have all the integration with the smartphone right in the dash & it's better than the BMW iDrive interface.

Did you happen to take any photos of the install? I'm dubious whether it's going to help me, since you have the combox and I have MULF but it might...

I didn't take any pics, but it is not difficult taking the dash apart. Mostly a lot of pulling parts to the point where you think they are going to break. They eventually pull off & all is good. Scary the first time only...

fyi ... mObridge does work but not 100% great. No way to access secondary numbers for a contact using the head unit controls. Also no way to activate voice control which stinks. mObridge support is non existent now in the US, so hopefully that will be fixed soon.

Yeah it always makes me nervous pulling panels off, but at this point I've done it so much I just hold my breath and proceed....

It sounds like the MULF adaptation is the one for me, assuming I can find a reasonable coding solution.

Detail Addicts are close to me and they do lots of other coding but have said they haven't done this, so they can only "try". That's honest, which I like, but I think I may try the coding FIRST and if "phone" shows up on my head unit then do the mechanical bits.

Yeah it always makes me nervous pulling panels off, but at this point I've done it so much I just hold my breath and proceed....

It sounds like the MULF adaptation is the one for me, assuming I can find a reasonable coding solution.

Detail Addicts are close to me and they do lots of other coding but have said they haven't done this, so they can only "try". That's honest, which I like, but I think I may try the coding FIRST and if "phone" shows up on my head unit then do the mechanical bits.

That's a good point, in fact my COMBOX did indeed have Bluetooth and it only needed to be turned on. The issue however was less about programming and more about finding the proper wire harness to connect the Bluetooth antenna and the microphone.

So after 16 months with this car and trying a bunch of options to get a decent Bluetooth option, I am happy to say I have a solution that is stock BMW and a dealer would never identify that anything is modified.